"HUMAN LIFE IN SPACE"

by

(C) David A. Kirshbaum (2005)

(a Near-Planet Space Station)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• I. Introduction
• II. Human Life In Space
  • A. Description of Space Station categories
    • 1. All-Station facilities
    • 2. Planet Stations
    • 3. Star Stations
    • 4. Inter-Solar Stations
    • 5. Inter-Stellar Stations
  • B. Chart Summarizing Space Station Categories
• III. Space Launch & Travel
  • A. Space Launch
  • B. Space Travel
  • C. Basic Layout of Spaceships
  • D. Current Example: International Space Station
• IV. Stages of Development of Human Life in Space
• V. Conclusions

There are so many problems in the world - political, environmental, social, etc.

Life in space would solve so many of these problems (although it would probably create many others as well).

For example, many political conflicts might be overcome because successful space life would require such a high degree of cooperation between countries.

Environmental problems might be overcome because industrial and excessive population might be able to move to off-planet locations.

Social problems such as poverty might be overcome because hopefully there would be enough work in space to employ the people living in poverty. Although unfortunately automation might actually counter this.

But who knows what future research might develop to alleviate problems in space as well as on the earth, and space travel and life is very supportive of scientific research.

This paper covers a possible approach to helping develop human life in space. It includes a basic schema of human life scattered amongst different categories of space stations both on planets and other celestial bodies, in orbit around them, and situated within the expanses of space between them.

The paper also includes a possible time line of developmental stages which government in cooperation with industry could follow to make life in space feasible both operationally and financially.

Admittedly, this paper is very sketchy. The technical details of how these ideas might be implemented are far beyond the scope of this paper as well as the knowledge-base of its author, but hopefully this paper might stimulate other people to begin to think seriously about how to begin to become independent of this planet because eventually (1) relatively soon this planet is not going to be able to sustain the exploding human population spread across its surface, and (2) long-term there is a point where our sun is going to give-out and this will destroy everything near it (and I believe we don't want to be still dependent on the earth at that point).

Note: In the following document, security includes both police and military uses, even though their purposes are quite distinct.

GOTO: (Intro) (Life in Space) (Space Launch & Travel) (Stages of Development) (Conclusion)

COMMENTS: All comments are welcomed. Please email them to [email protected].

(C) David A. Kirshbaum (2005)